After Shocking Addition of Correa, Stacked NY Mets' World Series Odds Shift Again

The New York Mets keep rising in the World Series futures odds market.

After a dizzying offseason that started with the loss of longtime ace pitcher Jacob DeGrom but the addition of (take a deep breath) Justin Verlander, Edwin Diaz, Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Brandon Nimmo, Adam Ottavino and Kodai Senga made Mets fans and oddsmakers forget about the two-time Cy Young Award winner rather quickly.

With all of the major free agents off the market, the Mets settled in at around +1000 to win the 2023 World Series. That number put them on par with Atlanta but behind Houston, the LA Dodgers, and New York Yankees since the Mets still had questions about third base, designated hitter, and catcher.

In the past, when we hear that a team has agreed with a player “pending a physical,” it is typically a mere formality before the press release is sent and the player is introduced to put on his new uniform.

Last week, after missing out on Aaron Judge and others this offseason, the San Francisco Giants appeared to land prized shortstop Carlos Correa on a 13-year, $350 million deal that would take him to his age-41 season.

Most of the baseball world, however, woke up to shocking news on Wednesday. Correa was in agreement on a 12-year deal with the Mets (?!).

There were hints of issues when the Giants’ press conference to announce the signing of their offseason centerpiece was postponed on Tuesday. It turns out, a dispute over Correa’s medical records led to the deal falling through.

Enter Mets owner Steve Cohen.

Once Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, felt the Giants wavering, he contacted the Mets owner, who spent lavishly earlier this month and felt his team was one offensive piece away from cementing itself as the best team in the National League East.

The Mets led the division for nearly all of the 2021 season, but a three-game sweep by Atlanta in the final week gave the division to the Braves, and the Mets were a 101-win Wild Card team that lost in the opening round to San Diego.

Boras and Cohen, along with Mets general manager Billy Eppler, quickly came to a deal, which will pair Correa with fellow Puerto Rican star and friend Francisco Lindor. Lindor owns the shortstop position in Queens, so Correa will move to third base in a move reminiscent of when the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez and moved him to the hot corner alongside Derek Jeter.

The addition of Correa gives the Mets two-time all-stars at every infield position (Pete Alonso at first; Jeff McNeil at second). Nimmo is locked in long-term to play center field, Starling Marte will return in right, and Mark Canha’s underrated production will keep him in left field.

At catcher, the Mets acquired Omar Navarez from Milwaukee and Tomas Nido remains. In addition, top prospect Francisco Alvarez plays the position. James McCann was traded to Baltimore for a player to be named later on Wednesday.

At designated hitter, it appears that it will be filled by some combination of Eduardo Escobar, Daniel Vogelbach, and possibly Alvarez. Escobar and Luis Guillorme will also provide infield depth.

The big question is what will New York do with Brett Baty. In the minor leagues, Baty did play some left field, which could leave him as a long-term answer in that position after Canha’s time in New York is over.

The acquisition of Correa allowed the Mets to jump the Los Angeles Dodgers at most NY sportsbooks in World Series futures odds. This makes New York not only the favorite ahead of Atlanta and Philadelphia in the NL East, but in the entire National League as well.

The only team that is on par with the Mets in the World Series odds market is defending World Series champion Houston. The Astros, however, did lose Verlander to the Mets and are just using in-house options to replace him.

Here’s a look at the World Series futures and how they have progressed this offseason at FanDuel.

You can see how the Mets’ move send the odds down for the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies. In addition, the Yankees saw a surge in odds after signing free-agent pitcher Carlos Rodon to go with re-signing Aaron Judge. San Diego’s odds also improved after agreeing with shortstop Xander Boegarts.

Right now, it’s hard to see the Mets having any less value during the offseason. An injury or two could knock the odds a bit lower, but they will likely not increase much more unless the team gets off to an amazing start on the field. Because of that, the odds to remain where they are until spring training. If you’re itching to make a futures bet on the Mets, we would recommend waiting until March. This way, you can see what the health of the team looks like going into the long regular season.